Trailer Review: Less is more in ‘The Giver’

Almost nothing about Phillip Noyce’s upcoming “The Giver” seems astonishing or surprising, but it looks intriguing enough for your curiosity to be considerably aroused. Everything is dealt with in perfect measure and nothing feels like it’s overdone. From the music to the visuals to the quick glimpses of characters, viewers get just the peek they need in order to hit that replay button. It’s so refreshing to come across a trailer that actually ends when it should, without giving away too much of the plot or focusing on the key dramatic moments. With this one, you know what the movie is going to be about, not what’s going to happen.

There’s almost an air of nonchalance when Academy Award winners Jeff Bridges (“Crazy Heart”) and Meryl Streep (“Iron Lady”) appear on the screen as pivotal characters, which is perfect because it doesn’t steal focus from the rest of the trailer. The events are depicted in a near perfect progression – from calmness, to suspicion and finally conflict. As the music becomes eerier, Brenton Thwaites (TV’s “Home and Away”), who plays Jonah, is abducted by a spaceship and very abruptly, the title of the film appears on screen – bringing the trailer full circle and to a close which leaves you wanting more.